On Friday night, the Boston Celtics escaped with another narrow win against the New Orleans Pelicans. Celtics forward Jayson Tatum made a game-winning jump shot to give Boston a 118-116 victory. The Celtics won the first matchup by a point in early January.

Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III led all scorers with 40 points in the loss. New Orleans needed his scoring desperately, with Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram missing the game with injuries and starting guard Dejounte Murry injuring his Achilles in the first quarter. Murphy III scored 16 points in the first quarter, including three shots from beyond the arc to pace the Pelicans.

HE BANKED IT.

Trey at 38 PTS (8 three's) pic.twitter.com/CkTBsjaREC

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) February 1, 2025

This season is a major breakthrough for the former Virginia standout. He signed a four-year, $112 million extension with the team during the offseason after posting career-highs in points, rebounds, and assists last season. With Ingram, Williamson, and Murray sidelined during different parts of the season, Murphy III has emerged as one of the best players on the team.

After the game, Celtics forward Jaylen Brown talked about Murphy III’s growth since entering the NBA.

“He’s worked on his game, and he’s putting people on notice and getting better,” Brown said. “Teams like us have had to adjust while the game is going on because his skill level has increased.”

This is Trey Murphy's sixth game of 30-plus points this season, with two of them vs. Boston in January. He had 30 in TD Garden on Jan. 12 https://t.co/vx2RVcXGci

— Jim Eichenhofer (@Jim_Eichenhofer) February 1, 2025

With uncertainty surrounding whether Brandon Ingram will still be on the Pelicans past the trade deadline, Murphy III has solidified himself as a cornerstone of this franchise moving forward. This season, he’s averaging 22.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.1 assists.